Marketing your music online?

[zsjuz]

Lets say you have a good song and want to market it or get plays on the radio. How do you market your music? The record companies do this, but how? Do they hire radio promoters(many thousand of dollars) Will radio stations play my music without it being sendt through an agent? If its good enough. I am thinking of getting someone to make a great cover for me for 1000dollars and send out my music to radio stations and then record companies. Make it look really pro.

I am on itunes and amazon and have sold 1 song! in 6 8 months without promotion. So you have to do more than just sign up for cdbaby.com! and dont say facebook or myspace. You have to do more.

Is making a youtube music video and option? It s going to cost me 2000dollars to get it good. Will I get views or just 300 max from random people.

What about marketing a album? I just saw a ad for a artist a image google ad. I was thinking of going out in a celeb magazine with a 1/4 page ad to 800,000 readers. But can this be done better with the internet?





Pop rock

[JD Gaffe]

I'm no expert on marketing by any means, but it seems just throwing thousands of dollars in hopes that people will find and buy your music seems pretty extreme if you're just starting out. I haven't heard the music you make, but if the product isn't that good, no amount of marketing is going to help sell it. (Ignoring ironic popularity like Rebecca Black..)

Make music and give it away for free, make a soundcloud page and post your music on forums like KVR and others. Get feedback. Build a fanbase.

If your music is good, people will come.

[bmot]

I'm not one to ask, i'm not professional or even that bothered about getting noticed. But one simple and obvious thing is to put a link to your music page in your signature of KVR. And any other places you post too. That way, whenever you post something, people will have the opportunity to go and check out your music.

[zsjuz]

Here is the song I belive in. I am waiting for a pro bass player to play on it. But for now.


http://soundcloud.com/zsjuz/a-thousand-years-2

[bmot]

admittedly the music style isn't for me. but you're obviously talented and the production sounds really good to my ears. try posting in the music cafe section of KVR and you'll get some feedback from people who have been around a bit and know what they're talking about. in the meantime, maybe someone will have some advice about marketing but i've read similar threads and have taken away from them that

(1) playing live is a good way to build a fanbase; plus you can sell CDs after each gig
(2) there is no substitute for hard work (with a bit of luck at an appropriate moment)
(3) facebook etc can help you keep fans interested and informed, so they don't forget about you. But you have to win fans first and then preach to the converted. Hopefully they will recommend you to others and your fanbase will grow organically too.

As for the money thing, that depends if you're rich. I'm not convinced it's wise to spend so much money on advertising or a video. The thing is, if you haven't got a fanbase to reach, what's the point in spending $$$ on a great video that no-one will see.

And rather than paying for a very expensive printed advert, why not submit your best tracks to a music magazine for their monthly featured artist (Computer Music, Sound on Sound, Future Music etc).

As I said, i'm no expert but maybe this can give you something to think about

[Pyramid Scheme]

... go into music licensing. It is easier to make a few thousand dollars a year than it is to try to make a million dollars.

[zsjuz]

Really want to make it happend myself or with a recordcompany. Maybe I will:


get it on cdbaby.com( itunes and amazon) where I actually now sell music(not much but a little)
Make a cover to a cd 1000dollars
press it 1000dollars
send out to try to get reviews in magazines
send out to radiostations in my country and then the usa
send to newspapers to try to get reviews



I have to try! See what happends I will regret it if I dont do it and there is nothing else I need this money for

I will probobly fail, but I need to try.

[lfm]

One way not mentioned are publishers who work to get your music out there.

They hold publishing rights to your work for a percentage of revenue.

Do you want your music in tv-programmes, films - besides direct record sales?

Publishers usually state which fields they work in.

I'm not sure how it's done in different parts of the world - it might differ quite a bit.

If you want to be your own man - you have to do the investments as well.

EDIT: Listening to you song it sounds to be perfect as a signature song for a tv-series or a film. Approach production companies for film and tv maybe.

[JD Gaffe]

Make a cover to a cd 1000dollars

Woahh, a thousand bucks for a CD cover? Along with doing the audio thing, I've been using Photoshop since I was 12, and I'm pretty sure you can just get someone to do it for free. It goes along with creating a fan base, have enough and there's a pretty high probability that one of them is an artist and is willing to do a free album cover in order to promote themselves as well.

You keep seeming to try and find a shortcut to fame by throwing more money at it rather than simply working long and hard on your music. You mentioned on your link that you're waiting for a pro bass player to play in it? Why don't you just start a band rather than pay professional musicians every time you want to record a song.

[ntom]

I tell you what, since you are willing to throw so much money in on this. You pay me that $1000 and I will go tell all my friends about you. It's a win-win, see? I can finally catch up on all my past-due rent and you get promotion. Don't worry, I am a "professional" at promoting.

[zsjuz]

Maybe I wont spend that much and do a logo myself. Just started on some stuff.